News and Notes

I'll be playing in the 2nd incarnation of the Talking Poker forum invitational tournament this Sunday. If you'd like to join yours truly, you'll need to head on over to Talking Poker, register in the forum and contribute 10 posts. The forum moderator will then get you the password to participate in this PokerStars-based event. The buy-in is small, but the trash talk isn't. This tourney will most likely feature the return of SirFWALGMan to the virtual felt. You can watch me take him out and relegate him to the railbirds where he will most likely start playing .50/1.00 limit poker and give play-by-play analysis of his badbeats in realtime via instant messenger.

Other significant tourney news is that CJ from UpForPoker has secured a date for the 2nd live WPBT event to be held at the Aladdin Casino on June 4th. I believe he is working on a room rate discount for us, which should entice more people to get out there and participate. This event will feature the returning champion Felicia and her attempt at defending her throne. I'll be sure to wear my sleeveless hammer shirt for all the ladies.

So I'm playing on Full Tilt last night when someone joins the table with a name of WPBT. Suspicions arise when said person proclaims their love for my blog. The person chose a female icon, so my first suspect was Maudie. She claimed innocence, but knowing her to be capable of such chicanery, I still had doubts. It wasn't until WPBT asked me if I knew Otis and G-Ron that the identity of this prankster was known. I can't explain why, but G-Ron struck a chord and made me laugh out loud for several minutes, to the point of tears. That G-Rob can be a funny guy.

I had IM's last night with 8 other bloggers: Otis, CJ, G-Rob, Al, Maudie, Felicia, Glenn, and Hank. Why? Well, we were trying to get signed up for Full Tilt's RGP HORSE tournament. I tried to get Al his entrance fee via transfer but the big goofball hadn't filled out his personal information completely and the first request got declined. The second request was approved. Two minutes after the tourney started. Doh! Major props to Hank for helping out some fellow bloggers while he's furiously pounding away at development code. I think we can all understand when work is kicking our ass and some yahoo needs a favor. It's not exactly great timing. Nonetheless, Hank was happy to help, so as such, we should all help promote his company whenever possible. Go Full Tilt Poker!!! :)

As far as the tourney went, I think I outlasted all the other bloggers participating, but finished a mediocre 41st out of 157. My undoing was the limit hold 'em portion at the 500/1000 level. My pocket 8's lost to AQ when an A hit the turn. Then, in a hand I should have gotten away from, my AJ lost to AK on an A-high flop. I had barely enough to post blinds for the Omaha Hi/Lo round and quickly found my exit when someone's pocket K's flopped a set. Still, I had a blast. Ask G-Ron about not noting the transition from Razz to 7-card Stud and how a great hand in one is not so great in the other.

Today I received approval for my trip to Austria. I'm lucky enough to be over there during the Vienna segment of the EPT. I'll be working in Graz, homeland to the Austrian Oak, Monday the 7th through the 11th, then getting my ass up to Vienna to meet up with Otis. Hopefully the EPT tourney will be winding down to the final table that night and Otis will have some spare time to get some poker in with me. If not, then I'll just bring him shots of SoCo. I hope to get in some playing time there as well as the casino located in Graz. I'm predicting this will be a fun trip, I've never been to Europe before. I hope the Austrians can appreciate my Schwarzenegger impressions, I think they are spot-on!